New artificial sweetener gains FDA approval
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the sweetener advantame for general use in food and beverages.
Archives for May 21, 2014
Leading academic calls results “out of line and improbable”...
Updated: NY’s GMO labeling would raise the cost of food for a family of four by $800 per year, says economist
The cost of New York State adopting labeling of GMO ingredient in food products could increase the cost of food for a family of four by $800 per year, says a new economic study from Cornell University. The results have been described as “out of line and...
Proposed nutrition labels more effective than current labels: survey
In line with the goals set forth by FDA’s proposed Nutrition Facts updates, consumers find proposed labels easier to read in less time and perceive food and beverage products with larger serving sizes to be less healthy, according to a study from the...
Unilever sells Bertolli, Ragu for $2.15bn
Condiment manufacturer Mizkan Group will acquire Unilever’s Ragu and Bertolli pasta sauce brands for $2.15 billion in an all-cash deal.
Kraft: Meat has been largely absent from healthy-protein snacking
Kraft Foods has developed a high-protein snack with a meat component to tap into a space in healthy-protein snacking that it says has been missed.
UK sets new record for pork exports
The UK has set a new record for exports of pork and pork products, achieving its highest monthly figure since 1998.
2014 sweets and snacks
Candy sales are dandy at $33.6bn in the US
Candy industry experts report confectionery sales are faring better than figures in other retail food markets, with US shoppers snapping up nearly $34bn worth of sweet treats annually.
Danish Crown on collision course with government over foreign investment
Danish Crown’s decision to invest in facilities outside Denmark risks straining relations with the government in Copenhagen as the company lobbies for state measures to reduce operating costs at local plants.
Mizkan Group buys Unilever pasta sauces for £1.3bn
Unilever has agreed to sell its North American pasta sauces business under the Ragu and Bertolli brands to Mizkan Group for $2.15bn (£1.3bn).
Australia
Green group calls for ban on nanomaterials
An environmental group in Australia has warned against the increasing use of nanomaterials in the food chain, calling for a ban on them until the further research on their safety can be conducted.
Drambuie sale: Suntory ‘favourite’ to buy
Suntory would be the “favourite” to buy Scottish liqueur brand Drambuie, one analyst has claimed, as news emerged that owners the MacKinnon family were exploring a possible sale.
EFSA gives Monsanto the green light on SDA-rich GM soy
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has delivered a positive scientific opinion on Monsanto’s MON 87769 soybean crop, which has been genetically modified to contain stearidonic acid.
Dispatches from Sweets & Snacks Expo 2014
Euromonitor: Popcorn and thins epitomize ‘indulgence without the guilt’
Popcorn has exploded and thins have sliced into action in snacking – both riding on the wave of being indulgent with a healthy slant, according to Euromonitor International.
FDA sees the light on label-less food marking
Laser Application Technologies has received a thumbs up from the US Food and Drug Administration for its Natural Light Labeling system, designed to get rid of stick-on produce labels.
‘No better than the average sports drink’: Rival INVO justifies Vita Coco coconut water attack
Premium coconut water brand INVO has justified its ‘slight attack’ on UK market leader Vita Coco and other rivals' nutritional and health benefits, insisting it needs to educate people on its own uniqueness.
High-fiber bioactive breads ‘could become mainstream’, says TNO
The next generation of bioactive wholegrain breads with ‘desirable sensory properties’ will be commercialized soon following taste tests, says TNO.
Detectable items more important than ever: Detectamet
With food safety for at the forefront of producers’ minds, interest in detectable products for production zones has soared in recent years, according to UK-based company Detectamet.
US progress with Mexico highlighted on panel discussion
Mexico’s decision to expand imports of US beef was highlighted at a panel discussion on positive developments between the two countries.
A flavour of life: Sense of taste linked to health and longevity
Our taste buds may play a ‘powerful’ role in living a long and healthy life, according to new research in fruit flies.
Tesco banishes sweets from all checkouts
Major UK supermarket Tesco has committed to removing sweets and chocolates from all of its checkouts by the end of the year.
DSM and Isobionics team up on fermented orange and grapefruit ingredient
DSM Nutritional Products has entered in to an exclusive worldwide partnership with Dutch firm Isobionics for the distribution of its valencene and nootkatone ingredients.
FAO chief urges global commitment to tackle nutrition challenges
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva has called on countries to put nutrition high on their national and international agendas, and to take a lead role in the upcoming Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2).
Olive oil and salad mixture is ‘key’ to Med diet mechanism
The combination of unsaturated fats in olive oil and nitrite-rich leafy salad or vegetables may be what gives the Mediterranean diet its healthy edge, according to new research in mice.
E.coli targeted in Thermo Fisher Scientific partnership
Thermo Fisher Scientific is part of a three-pronged approach to develop rapid methods that detect E. coli in food.
Kazakhstan bans Australian beef imports
Kazakhstan has imposed a temporary ban on some imports of Australian beef following the discovery of the growth stimulator trenbolone, according to the Kazakh Agency for Consumer Rights Protection (KACRP).
Southeast Asia
Crazy flavours and multiple mixes driving hipster coffee culture
Café patrons in northern Southeast Asian countries are far more conventional than those to the south if what they order in cafés is any judge.